the betsy and jesse fink foundation. the hkh foundation. barbara g. fleischman. and by our sole corporate sponsor, mutual of america, designing customized individual and group retirement products. that's why we're your retirement company. >> welcome. a very wise teacher once told us, "if you want to change the world, change the metaphor." then he gave us some of his favorite examples. you think of language differently, he said, if you think of "words pregnant with celestial fire" or "words that weep and tears that speak." of course, the heart doesn't physically separate into pieces when we lose someone we love, but "a broken heart" conveys the depth of loss. and if i say you are the "apple of my eye," you know how special you are in my sight. in other words, metaphors cleanse the lens of perception and give us a fresh take on reality. in other words. recently i read a book and saw a film that opened my eyes to see differently the crisis of our times, and the metaphor used by both was, believe it or not, zombies. you heard me right, zombies. more on the film later